"I absolutely loved the show and it was so perfect for the Manor! For me it worked as a good old-fashioned romp with a little bit of everything in it - a little Carry On, a little Agatha Christie, a little Melodrama and all in-between… I loved the audience participation element too and I was gripped and thoroughly entertained from beginning to end! …Random Acts proved to be the ideal theatre company to work with and trust with our precious historic house… Preston Manor is way too secret, thank you for bringing some of the Brighton Festival audience to our door… "

As a BACP Accredited Counsellor I am asked to demonstrate how an activity has influenced my practice. Random Acts identified how I was struggling to know if I was working well or badly? How I was afraid of what I don't know yet. Would I ever be able to 'hold' and 'contain' this client? Their interpretation helped me to see more clearly how I would have to accept my client's inablity to communicate well, to wait and be paced by him/her in building a therapeutic alliance.

This was a phenomenal experience for me where I felt safe enough in this group (family) to allow myself to be seen at a deeper level with the courage to be imperfect, and embrace my vulnerability with a smile.

Margaret, BACP Accredited Counsellor

Benefit for WOMANKIND Worldwide, Brighton

I was blown away by the incredibly sensitive and talented performances, and by the whole concept itself. Seeing your own experience, or story, being re-enacted by a group of people that do not know you is quite extraordinary. It makes you feel very loved, understood, and connected to everyone else in the most skin tingling way.

Tig Land is inspirational as the expert channel between the audience and the performers. She explains the process clearly and ensures that everyone feels comfortable. Her gentle and creative interaction with the performers brings out the very best of their talents.

I was left feeling that I had witnessed true magic. It was as though I had been hugged and held by this deeply sincere and highly skilled group of people, all of whom obviously cared about their profession and the audience they had come to entertain.

Tracey Waters, Copywriter

The Random Acts experience was totally unexpected. Seeing and hearing other people's stories brought to life by the performers in such a creative way was entertaining and moving. I especially enjoyed the use of the 'three voices' technique, the actors blending phrases and perspectives into a powerful and often poetic synopsis of a very personal story. And the most unexpected part was how other people's stories retold in this way triggered so many of my own memories that I'd not thought about in years.

Helen Keevy, Copywriter

South East Cancer Help Centre, Purley

What a delightful hour's entertainment from this group. Working in close harmony, with insight and humour, they used mime and music to interpret incidents related by members of the audience with amazing realism. Don't miss a chance to see Random Acts - get involved and experience their talents!

Kathleen Smith - South East Cancer Help Centre

Annual Conference of the International Foundation for Action Learning (IFAL)

I had experienced Random Acts performances on a number of occasions in different settings and felt that the dynamic, innovative nature of their work could translate well to an Action Learning conference. Action Learning is an experiential - and powerful - peer coaching model and we wanted something which mirrored these qualities, engaging the 'audience' at the centre of the learning, not simply as observers.

Opening the event with Random Acts felt like a substantial risk - not your conventional conference fodder, not a PowerPoint presentation in sight! - and Tig's suggestion of beginning and ending the conference with a Playback performance paid off wonderfully. (See delegates' comments below).

The company created an environment in the first morning which felt both safe and challenging, light-hearted and serious, offering us opportunities to share and explore our hopes, expectations and concerns in an open and unthreatening format. They enabled a sense of anticipation and communal 'space' to develop which was subsequently harnessed by the delegates and filled with conversations and mutual learning, culminating in the final plenary the following afternoon. Again, Random Acts expertly encapsulated our experiences, insights and future actions in a moving and highly memorable way.

Throughout the planning and the performance process, I particularly valued Tig's energy, flexibility and 'can-do-ness'. She listened carefully to our needs and worked with us to create a sense of fluidity and a 'holding' structure over the two days. She is an extremely competent facilitator, who makes a complex process appear easy and seamless. In skilfully managing and containing the anxiety - of the delegates, the players and the organisers! - she encouraged a high level of participation, trust and creativity to develop in the room.

The players are astounding - a hugely professional, talented and empathic group of individuals - who sensitively drew the audience out of the traditional delegate comfort zone, through their ability to mirror and model openness and risk-taking.

Thank you Random Acts - you made the Conference!

Would love to work with you again!

Moira McLaughlin, IFAL Executive Member

I found Random Acts to be the glue that held the conference together. As a newcomer to the idea of 'Playback' I had no preconceptions as to what they would do for us. At the initial session they skillfully overcame the natural reticence which is exhibited when people meet for the first time. This was much better than any form of icebreaker as it was based on what the attendees contributed. The most memorable part of the conference was the final involvement of Random Acts where they encouraged attendees to pour out how they felt and superbly encapsulated this in their dramas.

Sean Cunningham, Chair of IFAL

Random Acts are amazingly clever at what they do - their ability to improvise together in the moment seems almost magical.

I was very impressed with the way Random Acts worked with the conference participants, particularly their attentiveness and care in reflecting what people were saying and feeling. Also how they incorporated humour - gentle, surreal and very funny!

Jan Hall, Executive Member of IFAL

Random Acts

- deal in a respectful way with real people, experiences, situations and dilemmas.

- their acting and respectful challenging give you the distance you need to take important decisions in your life.

- they are very fast to understand and visualize.

- the cooperation between the actors is amazing - and it is worth a visit just to look at that.

- people in the audience get a greater chance to get to know each other.

- there's something magic in the room that you don't have to understand - just experience it!

- Random Acts is a good choice if you are an individual, a group or an organisation. They can help you with your development in a way where you can also laugh from your heart.

- I got a lot of help to see more clearly when Random Acts visualized my problem.

Christer Ferm, Development Leader, Sweden

This was a great experience; you made us feel like we were part of you, and you were part of us, and we were all part of the same performance. But what is best, is that you helped us capture moments, and look at ourselves from the outside…

Eben le Roux, Researcher

You have a wonderful ability to pick up on themes and feelings of the audience and reflect them back in a way that is so accurate, while also being funny, moving and inspiring.

A wonderfully creative example of how it is possible for people to work together intuitively - communicating with each other almost invisibly and spontaneously working with whatever material comes up.

Sue Carter, Facilitator & Trainer

The performers were very intuitive. Really creative and spontaneous!

Makes you think about the possibilities that arise from the comments that are performed.

It was surprising and exciting… would love to have watched it for hours.

Yasmine Facjal, Leadership Learning Advisor

Excellent!!! Did not know what to expect: the result was great!

Complex thought and feelings are translated into engaging and comical theatre.

A great way to break the ice and reflect on events.

Ian Leslie, Finance Director

A very responsive, professional group that captured and reflected back the thoughts, feeling, emotions of our group.

Thank you

Ray Mahoney, Member of IFAL

An accurate, humorous display of the thoughts and feelings of individuals at the conference.

Liz Anne Mulholland, Psychologist

Visual arts in a very immediate and dynamic style really helps with learning.

Interpretive, adaptive, colourful images, created from our thoughts and experiences over the last two days.

Jeff Dorans, Pharmacy Manager

You work as one and tell stories of a thousand.

Kristofer Skogholm, Facilitative Learning

Very entertaining, thought provoking and incisive. Would be very interested in working with Random Acts in the future.

Thank you.

Lesley Cramman, Consultant

Very insightful, thought provoking and enjoyable. Well done to all the team!

Declan Nugent, Training Specialist

Very impressive how you improvise! You put the dot on the "i"!

I like the glint in your eyes!

Stefan Vikberg, Webmaster/Project Leader

Training Event for Clean Language Practitioners

Combining fun, laughter and courage with insight, presence and creativity - Random Acts bring new perspectives to life, the universe and everything. You learn to be present, notice others, accept their gifts and create magic together.

John, Joint Facilitator

Inspiring, elegant, heart-felt connections that brought out the essence of the stories and revealed timeless human themes.

Richard, Web-site designer

You never overstate - the result is elegant and touches the deepest human structures in us all!

Jennifer de Gardl, Trainer and Coach

I thought it was excellent. Very sensitive to individual stories, and your ability to read between the lines and bring out aspects that haven't been spoken is phenomenal.

Marion, Trainer

Respectful, humorous, honest, moving and quite beautiful.

Emma Dalrymple, Job Seekers' Adviser

An incredible performance that brought out dynamics in my relationship that I'd never really thought of.

Jonathan Way, Editor

Like a great vat of warm chocolate! Moving, exciting, creative and compassionate.

Diana Brown, Psychologist and Consultant

Very moving. Great authenticity - what a tonic and antidote to soap operas. As a teller I found the performance connected directly to my personal story in an extraordinary way.

I want to thank Random Acts for their excellent performance. The patients involved in the story-telling were quite overwhelmed by the Company's imaginative portrayal of their stories. It certainly gave each of them a fresh perspective on their personal experiences and helped them to reclaim them in a unique way, perhaps for some even helping them with acceptance and closure.

Random Acts' zest, energy, humour and collective creativity lifted individuals' stories from the realm of the ordinary into entertaining and exciting theatre. The Company's extraordinary eclectic talents resulted in a polished and professional delivery. It was such a privilege to be part of the whole event and to witness such skill and artistry in action.

Joy Perkins, Organiser of Workshop at the Cancer Care Centre, Purley

What a wonderful awakening evening! The connection between the actors and the musician was amazing, each knowing when to speak without any signs or communication. The content was truly inspirational and I left feeling very uplifted. The most fun I've had in ages!

When James and I decided to get married, we started to plan the wedding day and wondered how we would make the day our own - how we wanted it! We both remembered going to several performances by Random Acts in London, which we always enjoyed and always commented to each other how amazing we thought the whole performance was, impressed with how the performers improvise and re-enact stories that are shared. James and I immediately thought how wonderful it would be to arrange for Random Acts to attend and perform at our wedding.

On the day, James and I both shared stories, of our feelings about the wedding day - nervousness before the wedding and joy afterwards! James shared a lovely story of how we first met - it was a lovely moment and brought back many wonderful memories. He also shared how he was overwhelmed with joy when he saw me walking down the isle. He felt that the combination of the two were performed seamlessly and timelessly, to somehow give the audience the full story.

My mother and father had the opportunity to share stories of how they first met James, and their own anxieties about the wedding day. James's parents told a beautiful story of how they got engaged over 50 years ago. It was so great that they were able to share that with all their relatives. It made the day very special. James's brother was also able to share his own memories of his recent wedding, and it felt like being back in the moment of the actual day.

We received lots of positive feedback from all of our guests. Many people thought it was a unique idea to have such a performance and that they had not seen anything like it before. They said that it was such a wonderful part of the whole day. Many guests said that they were amazed at how the performers played back the stories that were shared, without even discussing it before hand with each other. Lots of people said that it was so nice to have the performance, as sometimes there is a lot of hanging about between the wedding ceremony and the evening event - having the performance in between was very enjoyable and helped to make everyone feel relaxed and participate in the day and share memories with others.

And here is what some of the guests said:

'Unique'… 'Unforgettable'… 'Creative'… 'Imaginative'… 'Amazing'… 'Very different'… 'Enjoyable experience'… 'Our kids enjoyed the performance'… 'How nice to bring those memories/experiences to life'… 'Inspiring'… 'What a wonderful idea to have at a wedding'… 'It really made the day special'… 'We particularly enjoyed the performance at the reception, they were so clever to produce theatre immediately without any communication between the actors before they commenced - very clever'…

James and I were so happy that we decided to ask Random Acts to perform at our wedding. To anyone who is considering inviting Random Acts to their wedding, they have our personal recommendation. They made our day very special and unique for us.

Rachel and James

Rugby Portobello Trust

I approached Random Acts to assist with an event designed to create an atmosphere of learning, support and inspiration for the tenants of a homeless houseshare scheme and the members of a local youthclub. These two groups had little or no contact with each other. Some of the participants had endured traumatic childhood experiences, were reserved and felt they had limited options.

The performance was fun, engaging and helped the participants to feel at ease, more open and curious. Even the "tough" kids were touched. It allowed the participants to get to know each other and was a great lead in to a discussion session with role models.

Sylvana Caloni, Executive and Personal Coach

Story-telling can be empowering and Random Acts are certainly powerful story-tellers. Enjoy…

Colin Salmon, Actor

Winston's Wish

Thank you so much for treating us to a very perceptive and irreverent look at our moments and stories. Seeing them 'played back' was both moving and enthralling. The buzz in the office the next day was that they loved it and I have noticed that the experience has provided lovely links and connections for staff who perhaps do not have the opportunity to work together closely.

As well as being a wonderful entertaining team builder I know many of the practitioners were also seriously impressed with the therapeutic possibilities of such community based drama especially in our work with bereaved children. One participant wanted you to know that she found it 'intuitive, instinctive, intelligent, irreverent, impressive, inspiring, incredible, impactful and illuminating'! and 'I' totally agree!

On Friday 1st October, Random Acts presented an evening of Playback Theatre to an expectant Chiddingly Festival audience. The early wariness soon gave way to enthusiasm and the stories came pouring out. The players responded with sympathy, humour, and inventiveness that bordered on the inspired. The tale of the lost hamster will remain with me for a very long time! The audience left at the end of the evening full of praise for the Company and the 'almost uncanny' way they responded to each other and the audience's stories. It was a 'unique' evening.

Mike Goff, IT Consultant and Chiddingly Festival Event Director

What impressed me was the way that underlying themes were brought out - people's hopes, strengths, differences and conflicts. The skilled facilitation allowed the participants to "think outside the box" in discovering new ways to overcome barriers to success in a safe yet powerful way. The potential use of Playback Theatre in Project Management, Mentoring and Coaching situations is endless.

Moira McLaughlin, Freelance Management Consultant

Thanks to Random Acts for a wonderful experience. Since I had not seen Playback Theatre before it was difficult to conceptualise, but the whole process was fantastic. Everyone was telling me after the show that they really enjoyed the event and some asked me how you managed to interpret the audience's stories so well, and make a performance out of it all. I told them that I didn't know what your trade secrets were, but that I was equally amazed!

The whole evening was a wonderful interactive experience. For many people in this neighbourhood, going to the theatre is an expensive luxury. By using an accessible and local theatre like the Cockpit, along with Random Acts' very inclusive way of performing, we were able to bring theatre to this diverse community.

Everyone enjoyed the show so much, that they've asked me when will there be another!

Shelleyna Rahman, Co-ordinator, Church Street Reminiscence Centre

You demonstrated an amazing combination of creativity and sensitivity, and showed just how a team could work together. In essence, there was as much for us Managers to learn from as the content we provided.

As I planned my wedding I was excited by the prospect of a Playback performance as part of the day. Since being introduced to Playback theatre in 1997, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching and sharing in performances, as a student in York with the Action Replay company, and latterly with Random Acts in London. I am enthused about the opportunity that Playback offers for people to create links with each other, to share experiences in a new way. I hoped that my wedding guests, of whom only a few had any experience of Playback, would enjoy this part of the day as much as I would. I was not disappointed

Having the Playback performance at my wedding reception offered a chance for me to relax and reflect. On a day that sped by so fast, I had time to stand back and enjoy taking in the 'view'. I was able to express my thanks to family and friends for coming to share the day in a verbal and visual way, through the fluid sculpture that was performed. The comical enactment of my mother's moment of stress over wedding flowers appeared to unite anyone who has ever planned a wedding. I and many other guests valued the opportunity to share personal experiences of the wedding day and my memory of the day now has an added visual dimension.

It was also possible for difficult parts of the day to be expressed. Pairs were used to portray my father-in-law's thoughts regarding jubilation at his son's wedding and sadness that his daughter was at the other end of the country recovering from an unexpected operation. This was an emotional part of the day and it was impressive how sensitively Tig and the performers enabled this difficult moment to be shared. Some guests brought amusing stories involving my husband (Andy) or myself, for example; Andy's apparent love of throwing himself off mountain bikes and my misadventures with a donkey in Egypt. Guests commented that they had enjoyed learning new (sometimes embarrassing) things about us! Indeed it was wonderful to see how so many guests had enjoyed the performance, especially those who had been unsure of what to expect.

Thank you to Random Acts for contributing to my wedding day in such a fantastic and unique way. I realise that I may be a little biased but this was most definitely the best Playback performance I have ever seen!